YouTube QR Code: Video, Channel and Playlist (Plus the Exact Start Time)

To make a YouTube QR code, copy the link to the video, channel or playlist from the Share button, paste it into a link QR code generator and download the image. Anyone who points their phone camera at it lands right on the content, in the YouTube app or the browser. You can even make the video start at a specific minute.

How to make a YouTube QR code, step by step

1. Open the content on YouTube (video, Short, playlist or the channel page).
2. Tap Share, then Copy link. On a computer, you can copy it straight from the address bar.
3. Trim the end of the link. Since 2023, the link copied from the Share button usually comes with ?si= and a string of letters. That part only identifies who shared it; deleting it won't break the video and makes the QR code simpler.
4. Paste it into the link QR code generator and customize the colors if you like. YouTube red can go on the dots, as long as it's a dark enough shade on a light background.
5. Download it as PNG or SVG and test it with two phones: one with the YouTube app and one without.

Every character in the link turns into dots in the design. A short address like youtu.be/ followed by the video code produces a QR code with larger modules, which scans better when printed small. The same logic shows up in our guide to the Instagram QR code, where we show how much a clean link shrinks the code.

Which YouTube link should go in the QR code?

The last row of the table is a trick few people use. Since the playlist is yours, you can add, remove and reorder videos whenever you like, and the printed QR code keeps pointing to the same list. For a product manual or a course that keeps getting new lessons, it's a way to update the content without reprinting anything.

How do I make the video start at the right minute?

On YouTube in a desktop browser, pause the video at the point you want, click Share and check the "Start at" box. The link comes out with the time at the end. In the mobile app that box doesn't always show up, so you can write it by hand: add ?t= and the number of seconds to the short link. Starting at 2 minutes and 15 seconds looks like youtu.be/code?t=135.

If the link already has a question mark (the long link, with watch?v=), the time goes in as &t=135 instead of ?t=135. Test it on your phone before printing: if the video opens at the beginning, the time didn't take.

Public, unlisted or private video: which one works in a QR code?

According to YouTube's help center, an unlisted video can be watched by anyone who has the link, with no Google account needed, and it doesn't show up in search or on your channel. That pairs very well with a QR code: the video stays hidden from the general public and appears only to people who scanned your material.

• Public: works, and also shows up on your channel and in search.
• Unlisted: works for anyone with the link. Good for a welcome video, assembly instructions, or content exclusive to people who bought.
• Private: doesn't work for people who scan it, because only invited accounts can watch.

Just remember that "unlisted" isn't secret: anyone with the link can pass it along.

Where to use a YouTube QR code

• Packaging and manuals: an assembly, recipe or first-use video. The guide to QR codes on packaging covers size and material.
• Menu: a video of the house special being prepared.
• Classroom: the video lesson on the worksheet, so students can rewatch it at home.
• Business card for a musician, speaker or creator: the channel, with the @handle written next to it.
• Events and stages: on the big screen, so the audience can save the video and watch later.

For big screens, slides and live streams, size and time on screen matter more than on paper: leave the code up long enough for everyone to point their phone. In print, the usual rule applies: the QR code's side should be about one tenth of the scanning distance, as the guide to minimum QR code size shows.

What can break a YouTube QR code?

A static QR code doesn't expire: the link is stored in the design itself. What can change is what YouTube shows at that address.

• Video deleted, made private or blocked for copyright. People who scan it see an error screen.
• Changed channel @handle. The QR code keeps the old name. If it changed, generate a new one.
• Re-uploaded video. Uploading a corrected version creates a new link. If the video is on a printed QR code, point it to a playlist instead and swap the video inside it.

Music and podcasts call for a different approach, since many people want to listen without keeping the screen on. In that case, a Spotify playlist QR code usually fits better.

Here at QR Code Free Forever, the QR code for your video, channel or playlist is free, with no sign-up and no expiration date, as a PNG up to 4,000 px or an SVG for the print shop.

Create a free YouTube QR code